“Values Voters” vs. Voting with Values

When we stepped into the election booths on Tuesday (or mailed in our ballots anti-climactically two weeks ago), we were finally alone—there was blissful silence from the seemingly never-ending campaign commercials, a lack of fliers and posters and bumper stickers, no friends telling us which way to vote, and no camera phones posting our opinions to Facebook. But we did bring in one thing: our values.

Let’s look at some ways in which religion and religious values played an appropriate role in this election cycle. Houses of worship have emphasized the importance of voting, regardless of the candidate. 52% of those who attend religious services at least monthly reported hearing their clergy encourage voting. Religious coalitions have supported causes they consider to be integral to their faith. In the four states in which same-sex marriage won support this week, faith coalitions have emerged as staunch allies. In Florida clergy mobilized voters across the state to reject a measure allowing public funds to be used to directly aid religious institutions in Amendment 8, which would have significantly limited existing church-state safeguards.

So as our TV programming returns to normal once again, I urge you not to return “politics” and “religion” to their comfortable silos. I challenge you to consider how the two overlap. Are you okay with how you see them interacting? What would you change if it was up to you? What will you change this year? (Comments welcomed below!)